Thomas shields



(No Model.)

T. SHIELDS;

DRIVE CHAIN.

Patented Oct. 9 1883.

iii 61211012 THOMAS snrnnns, on scr. LOUIS, nrssounr.

'DRlVE-CHAEN.

$PECIFIGATION forming To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS SHIELDS, of the city of St. Louis, in theState of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement inDriveOhains, of which theefollowing is a full, clear, and exactdescription,

referencebeing hadto the accompanying drawings, forming part of thisspecification, and in which Figure lis a perspective view showing threelinks, one of which is provided with a carrying-flange. Fig. 2isasimilar view of asingle link. Fig. 3 shows two links, one in edge viewand one in longitudinal section, illustrating the manner of connectingthem.

My invention consists in certain novel features of construction,hereinafter fully described and claimed.

The links are all alike, each consisting of side bars,AA, and endbars, BB. At one end of the link are sockets C- O, which project forward fromthe bar B, and at the other end of the link is a bar, D, connected tothe bar B by an arm or arms, D, and whose ends fit in the socket G, asshown. The arm or a rms D of one link fit in between the sockets of another when the two are connected, the ends of the bar D reaching beyondthe arm or arms and fitting in the sockets. The sockets, as

0' shown, have closed outer ends, closed bottoms, closed fronts, andpartly-closed tops, so

anglesto each other, as inserting the ends of the for the same purpose,

partof Letters Patent NO. 286,338, dated October 9, 1883. Applicationfiled June 2,1883. (No model.)

that they have great strength; and two links are connected by placingthem ator near right shown in Fig. 3, then bar D of one link into thesockets of the, other, and then the links are straightened out, and, asshown in Fig. 1, the ends of the bar become somewhat inclosed by thesockets, so that the links while in this po sition are prevented frombeing disconnected. To increase the strength of the cross-bar in largelinks, rendering it less likely to break in straining and lighter inweight, it is made hollow, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and, if desired,the links, or part of them, may be provided with flanges E, as shown inFig. 1, for carry Zing purposes, where the chain is to be used as such,and the sides of the links, as well as the top, may also be providedwith flanges, also and each link may be thus flanged, or part of themonly may be flanged, and plain links placed between them.

I claim'as my in'vention- A drive-chain link consisting of side bars, A,end bars, 13 and B, hollow connecting cross-bar D, arms D, connectingthe cross-bar to one end bar, and the socket O in rear of the other endbar, as shown and described.

THOMAS SHIELDS.

Viitnesses: v

Gno. H. KNIGHT, THOMAS Monnow.

